


remember you're on both sides of it already

by ikuzonos



Category: Exit/Corners (Visual Novel)
Genre: Character Study, Complicated Relationships, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Pre-Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25070743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikuzonos/pseuds/ikuzonos
Summary: A hacker, an engineer, and a neuroscientist plan a death game. It sounds like the setup to a bad joke, but none of them know the punchline.
Relationships: Sean Ward & Tiana Tran
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	remember you're on both sides of it already

He whistles as he waits for the crosswalk signal.

In theory, he could jet out across the way without any worry; it’s just a few minutes shy of eight in the morning, and there aren’t any cars on this road before nine. Even as he peers both ways like a good citizen, he sees nothing but light snowfall. Still, he stays still until the familiar chirping pierces the cold air, and then jauntily strolls along.

It’s a nice morning. February has a reputation for being dismal and depressing, but he’s always found it to be a pleasant way of transitioning between the hype of a new year and the onset of spring. Plus, Valentine’s Day is a bonus in his book any day.

He absently cracks a grin, the tune he’d been butchering up until that moment fading away into the morning grey. Today’s going to be a good one; he can already feel it in his bones.

Or maybe that’s frostbite. Prince Edward Island doesn’t get much colder than it is right now, but this hoodie isn’t that thick. He really hopes it  _ isn’t  _ frostbite, but if it is, it might get a laugh out of Tiana, and wouldn’t that be something?

Thankfully, he’s almost at the old building. The property is nothing special, but legally, it’s part of Bellbridge University. He takes a glance at the manila folder tucked under his arm, fighting off a smirk. He’s already practiced how he’s going to reveal  _ this _ one. This is his ace. His magnum opus. It’s going to be killer.

He types his password into the keypad at the front door, and strolls inside when the light turns green. From there, it’s just a hop skip and a jump into the office he’s been sharing with Tiana Tran, his accomplice, rival, and nemesis these past few months.

It’s small. Their desks are rammed right up against each other, giving them no breathing room. The peeling, yellow wallpaper doesn’t really add much to the atmosphere either. At least he can see out the one window if he looks over Tiana’s head. 

“Good moooooorning!” he calls out as he strolls up to her. It’s another beautiful day in paradise, and he’s going to spend it the same way he’s spent the duration of the project; trying to piss off Tiana. It’s the best part of the job. And sometimes, the only reason he actually shows up. Seriously, what a way to spend his only days without class!

“Sean,” she greets, not looking up from her computer. Her back is perfectly straight, as usual. Nothing but prim perfection from the top computer science student at the university. “You’re late.”

Sean grins, because what else is there to do here? “Aww, did you forget about Daylight Savings again?”

That gets her to look up and glare about him. “First of all, it’s February. Second, you’d be  _ even later  _ than you already are if it was. Third, that was one time.”

He chuckles, and perfectly tosses the folder onto her desk. Some of the pages dramatically slide out as planned. “Relax. I was picking up this bad boy, okay? Go on, open it.”

Tiana eyes him skeptically, but flips open the folder anyways. Sitting right at the top in all her pristine glory is what will be the crème de la crème of the entire project. Or so he thinks, anyways. He paid a pretty penny for the artwork, but in the long run, it’s more than worth it.

“Isn’t she cute?” Sean prompts, when Tiana does nothing except stare.

Tiana sifts through the sketches, disbelief heavy on her face. “Where did you get these? I’ve seen all the stick figures you draw normally, so don’t tell me you did it yourself.”

Sean says, “Commissioned it from a guy on campus. The art department was surprisingly helpful.”

“You what?!” Tiana exclaims, “How stupid are you?! This is top secret! You can’t just—”

Sean waves his hand and keeps grinning. “Chill, Ti.”

Tiana says, “I’ll wring your neck if you call me that again.”

“And I believe it!” Sean replies airily, “But this is no big deal. I told the guy she was my DND character. All he asked after that was her class and her cup size.”

Tiana scowls and turns up her nose ever so slightly. “Disgusting.”

Sean scoops up the folder from her desk in one easy swoop. “I know, I know! All men are just the worst, aren’t we?”

“You are,” Tiana says flatly.

Sean dramatically raises a hand to his forehead, as though he’s offended. Tiana smacks his arm. Hard.

She goes back to paying attention to some nerd bullshit on her computer that Sean couldn’t read in a thousand years. He takes that as his cue to settle down himself, and finally sign in. There’s a few design quirks that need to be ironed out.

As he types in his password, Tiana says, “Anyways, is that really the design you settled on?”

“You don’t like her?” Sean asks, batting his eyelashes. It’s his signature move at the bar; one that gets every girl in sight swooning.

Tiana predictably doesn’t look at him. “I thought she was supposed to be some ‘manic pixie dream girl.’ She looks… nerdy. Not like a love interest.”

Sean grins. “Trust me, if she was showing anymore skin, Ink would have a heart attack. I’ve kept track of everyone he’s been into since we met, and he always goes for the weird, nerdy ones. Especially if they have glasses. He even does it when we watch movies.”

Tiana sighs, then rubs her temples. Someone hasn’t been getting enough sleep lately. “If you’re so sure. Scan the photos and send them to me, and I’ll start putting her together.”

“You got it, Ti!” Sean says cheerfully. He can hear her nearly crush her computer mouse in her fist, but she doesn’t make good on her threat to strangle him. Score one for the Sean Squad.

While dutifully scanning the photos, Sean says, “I call her Aether, by the way. A-E-T-H-E-R.”

“I know how to spell,” Tiana responds testily. She fixes him with her typical tight glare. “Isn’t that way too on the nose? Someone will find it suspicious.”

Sean waves his hand and slides into his chair, preparing to send the image files over to her. “I doubt they’ll bat an eye. Besides, Ink will love it. He’s never met anyone with a weirder name than him. I mean, we live in Bellbridge, for fuck’s sake. Just about everyone here’s as straightlaced as they get.”

Tiana just sighs, like she’s an exhausted, teenage babysitter who is only putting up with him because a fat wad of cash is coming her way. “If we get caught because of this, I’ll make sure you regret ever being born.”

Sean laughs and leans back in his chair. “Love you too, Ti.”

* * *

In the middle of trying to help Tiana debug the royal flush puzzle, (“Just give the card a different value! It can’t be  _ that _ hard!” “That doesn’t change the fact that it  _ won’t move!”)  _ Sean gets a ping from Nolan. He strolls out of the office, wishing her all the best, while she grumbles quietly.

He climbs the stairs two at a time, whistling happily as he goes. It’s a bit of a journey, but one he’s happy to make. Easy way to get his daily exercise. And working out his bod is the best way to get the girls at the bar to look his way. He chuckles to himself the whole way.

The door to Nolan’s office is open. It’s always open, actually. Something about air circulation. Sean strolls right in and slides into the open chair across from the hardwood desk.

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Nolan says, folding his hands. He looks exhausted, like he hasn’t slept in a week. Probably accurate, though.

Sean grins and leans back in the seat. “Of course. What can I do for you, boss?”

Nolan says, “I’ve been in contact with the sponsor again. They’re very interested in the game you’ve designed.”

Sean pumps his fist. “Well, I did put all my time into it. But why do you look so down? That seems like good news!”

“They want proof that the game is running in real time,” Nolan says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “With our current setup, we can’t let them participate in Exit/Corners.”

Sean nods. “I gotcha. As it stands, the game is pretty tight. Adding a sixth person would cause some problems.”

Nolan adds, “That, and they’d be coughing up blood every few seconds. No, what I’m thinking is that we allow them to tap into the senses of one of the contestants. It’ll be a bit tricky, but we have the technology for it.”

“Wow, sounds like you have everything already figured out!” Sean says, “What’d’you need me for?”

Nolan sighs. “According to the submissions you’ve provided, it would be in our best interests to use your friend Ink as the host. I’m asking if you’re okay with that.”

“Aw, I’ve got no problem with that,” Sean says, waving his hand. “It’s like giving Ink a special power, right? I bet he’ll love it.”

Nolan grabs a pen and scribbles that down. “I see. Thank you, that was all I wanted to ask.”

Sean gives him another grin and slides out of the chair, already practically skipping. It’s a pretty great day today!

By the time he gets back to the little office, Tiana looks to be in a better mood, which is too bad. “So, I take it you solved your little bug?” Sean asks, waking his computer.

Tiana nods tersely. “Yes. It’s working fine now.”

He leans forward on one elbow. “How’d you do it? In layman’s terms, please.”

Tiana grumbles, “I changed the value of the affected card. You had the right idea.”

Sean’s face lights up, and Tiana glares at him with murderous intent. They make a great team. Nolan Thatcher was right to put them together.

“Shut up,” she says, even though he didn’t actually say a word.

“Or what?” Sean asks, flicking a crumpled up piece of paper across the desks and into the metal wastebasket. He  _ should _ be straightening out the last few puzzles, but a little fun won’t kill them.

Tiana keeps her eyes focused on her screen as she taps out some unintelligible string of numbers that’ll eventually be a breathtaking garden for a final bow. “Or you could die.”

* * *

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Tiana hisses under her breath.

It’s pretty late at night. The lightbulbs in the building aren’t very bright, so Sean has to squint to see her as she shuffles down the hallway.

He gestures to the unconscious girl that Tiana’s supporting. “Well, if you were gonna back out, I think you would have already done it. C’mon, let’s get down to the pod room before she wakes up.”

Tiana sighs deeply, but when Sean lifts the girl’s arm over his shoulder and helps her carry the poor thing down, she doesn’t protest. When they reach the basement, Tiana breaks away to fire up the simulation, while Sean unlocks a pod and places the girl inside it.

“Who is she?” Sean asks as the machines rumble to life.

Tiana answers, “Some idiot first year. I pulled that fake crying trick from when we got caught in the library after hours, and once she got close, drugging her was a cinch.”

Sean whistles. “Damn, wish I could’ve seen that. She’s a really cute thing, you know?”

Tiana elbows him in the ribs. Hard. He’s going to have bruises everywhere because of her. “Focus, Sean. I’m doing this because  _ you _ asked me to.”

Sean says, “And I deeply appreciate it! I just wanna make sure that my boy Ink will be taken care of when our sponsor shows up.”

Tiana passes him the headset. “Then you can wear this thing. I’ll keep an eye on the door.”

It’s unlikely that Nolan will be coming by to check on them, but the gesture is sweet. Even if she’d never admit it, she’s a devoted friend. Sean puts on the headset and settles into a folding chair.

For a few moments, there’s nothing but darkness and whirring. Sean listens to the distant, howling wind, and waits for the girl to open her eyes.

He’s treated to a clear image of the Four Elements Hotel. They’re still cleaning up some of the later sections, but this little bedroom is looking lovely.

_ (Where am I? What happened?) _

It’s a little eerie, having her thoughts practically beamed into his head. It certainly feels real, though. The girl sits up and rubs her head. Sean feels something ruffling his hair. Creepy.

_ (I went to help that poor lady… and then I woke up here. I wonder if she’s here too?) _

The girl stands. She shuffles around the hotel room, expressing disappointment when the door doesn’t open. It’s unnerving feeling the cold metal doorknob in his hands. Her hands? Ugh, weird.

Nolan said something to him about the sponsor being able to influence whoever they tap into. Sean whispers under his breath, “I should lie back down.”

_ (I should lie back down.) _

Wow, that’s unsettling. The girl goes back to the bed she woke up in and curls up into a ball. Once Sean is satisfied that the girl is comfortable, he pulls off the headset and gestures to Tiana.

“You think it’ll work fine?” Tiana asks, her hand hovering over the keyboard.

Sean gives her a thumbs up. “Not without flaw, but it seems pretty solid. Nolan knows what he’s talking about.”

Tiana scoffs. “Of course he does. He’s a genius.”

“We’re all geniuses here, Ti,” Sean replies, shifting into an easy grin. “Means a little bit less in that case.”

Tiana declines to answer him, which is probably a good idea. Her attention is focused on the console, and the last thing they need is a disruption that gets the girl they abducted killed. After a couple more minutes, the pod pops open.

The girl is thankfully still unconscious.

Tiana lifts her out and jerks her head at him. “Get up. We need to take her back to campus before someone goes looking for her.”

“What’s this ‘we’ business?” Sean asks, “Won’t it look suspicious if we both help her? We’re not supposed to be seen together.”

Tiana scowls. “It’s one in the morning, and I’m exhausted. Help me carry her back, and you might get her name out of it.”

That’s enough to convince him. Sean leaps to his feet and drapes the girl’s arm over his shoulder. Tiana rolls her eyes.

* * *

_ [21/1/19] _

**09:03:07 - Tiana:** Not feeling well today. I’ll send over my progress through this chat.

**09:06:14 - Nolan:** That’s fine. Get lots of rest.

**09:06:28 - Sean:** and don’t pass whatever you picked up to the rest of us!

**09:07:56 - Tiana:** Shut up.

**09:13:32 - Sean:** :,,(

**09:13:44 - Nolan:** Sean, will you be dropping into the office today? I understand that you’re in class this morning.

**09:18:01 - Sean:** i’ll come after two. gotta run some errands first and all.

**09:37:23 - Nolan:** When you do, please drop off your submission for the last corner. I’m curious to know what you have in mind.

**09:55:22 - Sean:** (thumbs up)

**13:17:58 - Tiana:** _ Attachment: IMG_738379 _

**13:18:03 - Tiana:** This is the Gemini mock-up I’ve been working on.

**13:18:28 - Nolan:** Quite a clean design. May I see the other screens?

**13:18:45 - Tiana:** One moment.

**13:23:11 - Tiana:** _ Attachment: IMG_738380 _

**13:23:13 - Tiana:** _ Attachment: IMG_738381 _

**13:23:21 - Tiana:** Obviously, these are only samples. Let me know what you think of them before I start implementing them into CORNERS.

**13:47:42 - Sean:** :/

**13:48:06 - Tiana:** What is that supposed to mean.

**13:48:22 - Sean:** u should pick a different font lol

**13:48:30 - Sean:** that 1 looks waaaaay too much like a 7

**13:49:37 - Tiana:** Hardly.

**13:49:43 - Sean:** nolan weigh in

**13:55:00 - Nolan:** I can see where you’re coming from, Sean, but I think it’s rather clear that that is a 1 and not a 7.

**13:55:09 - Sean:** :,,(

**13:55:20 - Tiana:** Ha.

* * *

_ [17/3/19] _

**02:32:09 - Ink:** are you awake

**02:32:13 - Sean:** regrettably! wassup inkeroni??

**02:32:19 - Ink:** it’s happening again

**02:32:23 - Ink:** please help me

**02:32:30 - Sean:** i’m on my way to your room. leave the door unlocked, will ya? 

**02:32:37 - Ink:** okay

**02:32:43 - Ink:** please hurry sean

**02:33:01 - Sean:** going as fast as i can little dude. for now, try those breathing exercises we talked about!

**02:33:13 - Ink:** trying

**02:35:45 - Sean:** good! almost there!

**15:37:09 - Ink:** Thanks for showing up when I asked. I’m doing a lot better now.

_ [17/3/19] _

**15:40:48 - Tiana:** Ready?

**15:41:02 - Sean:** always am ;P

**15:41:18 - Tiana:** Good. We’ll be starting late tomorrow night.

**15:41:32 - Sean:** can’t wait tbh!!!

_ [17/3/19] _

**15:43:24 - Sean:** what are friends for man??? I always got your back

**15:43:39 - Ink:** <3

* * *

“So, what exactly am I looking for?” Sean asks, leaning on the wall outside the bar. It’s a chilly October night, and the moonlight shining down on him isn’t helping matters. At least cloud cover would raise the air temperature.

Tiana sighs on her end of the line. There’s a couple shuffling sounds before she replies, “Aren’t you the social engineer?”

“Aren’t you the control freak who doesn’t trust me?” Sean fires back breezily. He can almost hear her grind her teeth. They’ve had this little back and forth going since they met in Nolan’s office three weeks ago.

Tiana finally says, “Someone who fits in with our other choices. I’m sure you’ll know them when you see them.”

That’s true. He does already have some pretty nice ideas in mind. It’s just a matter of who will fit the bill. Technically, he has a week to scout out his options, but he’d rather get it over with quickly and spend his time priming them for what lies ahead.

“I’m heading in now,” Sean says, flexing his hand in hopes of warming it up. “I’ll get back to you if I find anyone noteworthy.”

Tiana says, “Good. I’ll be in touch.” She hangs up before he can say goodbye. Probably some show of dominance. What an odd girl she is. Sean has a feeling they’ll be wonderful friends someday.

He opens the door to the bar and relishes in the sound of music playing over the beat up speakers as he strolls inside. A couple guys from the psych department wave at him, but Sean doesn’t pay them any mind. His goal is a beer and a bird’s eye view.

With a cold one cracked open, Sean leans on an empty table and surveys the room. Tonight, there’s a lot of freshmen gathered. Some kind of welcoming event for the new school year. His gaze flits from person to person, trying to suss out who would be the right candidate for Exit/Corners.

Anyone who came with a friend is out. He doesn’t need to think about that for longer than a second. No point in trying to make a pair split up. He’s more likely to get a fist to the kisser if he goes that route.

Sean watches people come and go for the better part of an hour. It’s starting to look like a lost cause, and he debates drinking himself stupid and trying again somewhere more isolated, when he catches a glimpse of a guy in a trench coat in the corner of the room.

In the back of his mind, something clicks. Ink Greer looks a lot different than he did when the two of them met in the bookstore last year, but there’s no way that Sean could ever mistake that stupid coat of his. Even back in high school, when he had long hair and a different name, he wore it all the damn time.

And it looks like Ink hasn’t had any luck making friends since graduating. He’s hunched over, holding his beer up against his chest, and seems like he might cry at any moment. Absolutely nobody else in the room would dare give him the time of day.

Sean pulls his phone out of his pocket.

_ [04/10/17] _

**22:46:11 - Sean:** jackpot~

**22:46:20 - Tiana:** You’re kidding.

He stuffs it back in without replying, and crosses the room with a bright, welcoming grin. As soon as he gets close, he calls out, “Hey, Ink! It’s been a while!”

Ink looks up, startled. “Uh?”

Sean clinks his bottle against Ink’s, then takes a sip. “Thought I saw you loitering back here like a ghost. C’mon, don’t be shy! Ol’ Sean here’ll show you a good time.”

Ink blinks a few times, before finally cluing in. “Oh! Uh, are you sure? I mean, I’m sure I’d drag down you and your friends…”

Sean bumps his shoulder playfully, keeping up the thousand watt beam. “Nah, man! They all can’t wait to meet you! I’ve actually talked you up a couple times. Kept wondering when my wordnerd bud would finally show his face!”

Ink definitely still looks nervous, but a small smile creeps onto his face. “Your… bud, huh?”

“Yeah! You’re my bro, Inky Boy!” Sean says, downing the rest of his beer. “Let’s hit up the bartender again. I’ll get you introduced to the secret menu.”

Ink smiles again, and it looks genuine. And Sean just turns his head to the sky and laughs and laughs, like this is the funniest thing in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> _[“I have my body and you have yours. Believe it if you can. Negative space is silly. When you bang on the wall you have to remember you’re on both sides of it already but go ahead, yell at yourself. Some people don’t understand anything.”](https://genius.com/Richard-siken-the-way-the-light-reflects-annotated) _
> 
> Happy 3rd anniversary of Exit/Corners! I’m so grateful that I get to be a part of the community this year. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the creation of one of my favourite games. It’s an honour to have experienced it.


End file.
